


how to say i love you in kittenspeak

by eab5c5



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Budding Love, Cats, Fluff, Humor, Light Angst, M/M, Rich Lee Jeno, Rich Zhong Chen Le, chenle has a tesla just bc he can, kittens !!!!!!!, the lightest angst you can possibly imagine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21870031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eab5c5/pseuds/eab5c5
Summary: Jeno has two weaknesses. Kittens and Chenle (not necessarily in that order).Or, in which Chenle has a grand master plan of wooing Jeno by giving him as many kittens as possible, but what he doesn't realize is that Jeno has always loved him.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Zhong Chen Le
Comments: 5
Kudos: 174
Collections: DreamXmas 2019





	how to say i love you in kittenspeak

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thereisnoreality](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thereisnoreality/gifts).



> Dear Vivi,
> 
> I really hope you enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it! JenLe is one of my absolute favorite pairs and this idea was just too cute to pass up. I hope you have a wonderful holiday and that it's as warm as a basket full of kittens. ♡

Jeno hears the kitten before he sees it. A tiny confused _meow_ and someone shushing it gently as they approach him. Like every time, Jeno doesn’t have the heart to say no when Chenle reveals the little ball of fur inside his suit jacket and hands it to him. 

“We have to stop meeting like this,” Jeno says, holding the kitten to his chest and stroking the top of its head. The grey and white feline purrs loudly and his heart melts. “My parents might think I’ve gone mad if they find out how many cats actually live at the mansion.” Even as he says it Jeno lifts the kitten with two hands and holds it close, until their noses are brushing, and he smiles as it places a paw against his chin. 

“You love them enough to take care of all of them.” 

“I do.” 

“Then I don’t see the problem.” 

Cradling the kitten once again Jeno rolls his eyes at Chenle’s satisfied smirk. His hair is lavender now even though just last week it was a bright, searing orange. Jeno still doesn’t know how he gets away with such fantastic colors. It took him months just to convince his parents to let him dye his hair blonde, and they only agreed because it was a natural color. 

“Of course you don’t,” he says fondly. “Did you drive here today?” 

“After I escaped my chauffer.” 

They walk through the courtyard together, chatting about nothing and everything. Jeno keeps holding the kitten to his chest and when it gets antsy he lets the tiny creature climb its way up onto his shoulder. It seems perfectly content to sit there and nuzzle under his jaw, purring all the while. 

“I think she likes you.” 

“It’s a girl then?” 

“Yes, she doesn’t have a name though."

“I think I’ll call her...Aster.” 

“For what?” 

_For the way your hair reminds me of violet asters and lavender cookies and warm fields on a bright spring day_ , Jeno thinks. “Just because,” he says, and grins when Chenle pouts at him for giving such a bland answer. A few minutes later two guards walk into the courtyard and both boys dash towards the servant entrance of the kitchen to hide the new kitten. 

+++ 

“Are you serious?” 

“Very.” 

Jeno is sitting in the passenger seat as Chenle drives them away from the mansion in his too-expensive-for-you-to-even-look-at car. The older remembers him talking about it one day. A Tesla something or other. He’s pretty sure there was an X in the name but he can’t really remember. He was too distracted by Noodle, the orange short-hair cat that Chenle had brought him that day. The cat has grown up a lot since then (and out, the lazy oaf). 

“I can’t believe you would trust one in your backseat.” 

“She’s well-behaved. Er, last I checked.” 

“I can’t believe she’s in your backseat. _Your_ backseat. What if you’d gotten into an accident and she was hurt?” 

Turning around Jeno spots the all-black kitten sitting in the far left of the seat. He coos and chitters in her direction as Chenle brakes at a stoplight. She crawls toward him when the car is stationary and Jeno pulls her into the front with him. He hears Chenle scoff as he kisses the top of the kitten’s head. 

“You’re more worried about the cat than me if I got into an accident?” 

“Oh, most definitely. Cats make the world go round.” 

Jeno smiles into the kitten’s soft fur as Chenle laughs next to him, loud and unabashed. He snorts and grins and presses on the accelerator again, and Jeno turns to look out the window to hide just how fond he is of the boy. 

“I think I’ll name her Sunshine.” _For the way your smiles light up my life, and the way your laughter makes my heart soar_. 

“She’s a black cat. Why would you name her Sunshine? Shouldn’t it be something like, I dunno, Midnight?” 

“Sunshine just feels right.” 

“Whatever you say.” 

+++ 

Chenle is crying and Jeno doesn’t know what to do. 

The color of his hair shouldn’t fool anyone into thinking his parents aren’t traditional. Where Jeno’s own parents are strict with rules they aren’t forcing him into an arranged marriage. On the other hand Chenle’s family is rigid in their ways and it’s the wish of his dying grandfather that he be married before he passes within the year. So now Chenle is crying, a rare sight indeed, and Jeno acts without thinking. 

“Hey, Chenle, look.” 

The younger boy lifts his head to see the cat Jeno is holding right in front of him. Her name is Beatrice, a Russian Blue and the first ever kitten Chenle had given him two years prior. She is uninterested in the boy and sniffs plainly, while Jeno hides behind her whiskers and ears as he speaks. 

“Don’t cry, Chenle. Everything will be fine. You’ll be fine.” The younger boy sniffles and Jeno’s cheeks are as warm as the kitchen ovens before a dinner party. “I’ll make sure of it.” He lowers the cat and Chenle takes her into his arms, placing the feline in his lap and petting her softly. There are tear tracks on his cheeks. When he looks up a few moments later and holds out his arms Jeno gets the signal and hugs him firmly, making sure not to disturb the cat and resting his chin on Chenle’s shoulder. 

“Really?” the younger asks in a quiet, wobbly voice. Jeno hugs him tighter. 

“Really.” 

+++ 

“Chenle! That’s dangerous!” 

“Help me in before I fall off then!” 

Jeno gets out of bed and rushes towards the window, pulling it open to take Chenle’s arm and bring him into his room. They’re on the third floor of the house. 

“What were you thinking?” Jeno whisper-yells while checking the boy over for any injuries, patting his arms and legs. That’s when he hears the hiss from inside Chenle’s denim jacket. Jeno looks up at him unimpressed, and the younger boy offers him a sheepish smile while opening his jacket. Immediately the kitten hisses again, scratching the boy’s hand and jumping away from him into Jeno’s arms. Both the kitten and Jeno blink at each other before it seems to accept him, starting to purr. 

“He doesn’t really like me.” 

“I can see that. Is your hand alright?” 

Holding the kitten against him and away from Chenle the older leans in to inspect the cuts on the backside of Chenle’s hand. Three neat scratches are lined up next to each other, one of them bleeding a little. Jeno silently gestures for Chenle to sit on his bed while he heads to the bathroom. He comes back a small medical kit in one hand and the new kitten in his other. 

“Why would you hold onto him if he doesn’t even like you?” he asks, kneeling in front of the boy and placing the kitten on the bed. It dashes away from Chenle and towards Jeno’s pillows as he grabs some antibiotic ointment and a band-aid. 

“I don’t know. He reminded me of Starla.” he responds, hissing quietly as Jeno rubs the ointment over the cuts. 

“Sorry, I’m trying to be gentle.” 

“It’s okay.” 

Jeno leaves the ointment to absorb for a bit and peers past Chenle towards the little kitten now curled up on one of his pillows. In what little light comes from the moon through his window he can see the color of its fur, a rich chocolate brown. The kitten’s golden eyes stare at him before it lays its head down to presumably sleep. 

“You’re right, he is similar to Starla.” 

“I know, right? They could be twins.” 

“Starla is two years older than him.” 

“Older sister and younger brother then.” 

As they talk back and forth Jeno opens up the band-aid and drops the paper bits into the kit. He’ll worry about throwing them away in the morning. He takes Chenle’s hand again and carefully presses the band-aid into his skin so the absorbent part is resting over the small cuts. 

“There. Should be all better.” 

“Thanks.” 

He doesn’t know what urges him to do it, but Jeno lifts Chenle’s hand and presses a kiss over the band-aid before realizing what he’s done. He drops the boy’s hand while looking away, then coughs and stands. 

“You’re welcome.” 

Jeno closes the first aid kit and takes it back to the bathroom. When he walks into his room again Chenle is laying on the bed and trying to get the kitten to come near him. No progress. Jeno smiles at the sight and walks back to the bed, laying down on the other side. 

“What are you gonna name him?” Chenle asks, and Jeno is glad that he isn’t mentioning what happened just a few minutes ago. 

“I’m not sure. Maybe Moonie?” _For the way you visit me so late in the night, and the moon is our only witness. For the way I feel safe with you and moon keeping watch over us._

“Why Moonie?” 

“It’s related to Starla. Didn’t you want them to be siblings?” 

“Oh, right, that makes sense.” 

“You should get some sleep now. Do you want to stay?” 

“Yes.” 

+++ 

Jeno doesn’t keep secrets from Chenle – except for two. 

The first is that he is irrevocably, wholly, completely in love with Zhong Chenle. Jeno doesn’t remember when it started and he doesn’t think it will ever end. One day he just woke up and realized that the violet-haired boy with the sunshine smile and a penchant for midnight visits had walked right in and stole his heart. Or maybe Jeno gladly gave it to him without Chenle knowing. Either way the truth of the matter is that Jeno is in love with Chenle and he hasn’t said anything about it. 

Jeno’s second secret is that every kitten Chenle brings him he names after things that remind him of the boy. 

Aster for his hair, Sunshine for his smile, Moonie for his visits. Starla for the way his eyes sparkle. Joy for the brightness of his laughter. Aphrodite for his unmatched beauty. Cupcake for his sweet kindness. Leo for his bravery like a lion. Jester for his ability to lighten the mood. Zinger for his abundant energy. Einstein for his ever-growing wit. Jeno gives these names to the kittens who not only bring him joy for simply being cats, but because they remind him of the boy he loves. 

He thinks he’ll tell him. One day. 

+++ 

Saying ‘I love you’ to a crying boy while attempting to comfort him is not how Jeno would have liked to confess. It just...slipped out. 

Chenle stares at him and blinks, the tears clinging to his lashes glimmering in the sunlight. They’re in the center of the courtyard away from prying eyes because Chenle’s parents have just told him that he’ll be married in the Spring to a lady from another country. Jeno thinks he’s crying because he doesn’t want to be married off, but that is only a half truth. 

“You what?” 

“I shouldn’t have said that. I-” 

“Repeat it.” 

“What?” 

“Please, repeat it,” The younger sniffles and wipes at his cheek, nodding at Jeno. “Tell it to me again.” 

“I...I love you.” 

“Again?” 

“I love you. Zhong Chenle, I love you.” 

For the first time since he heard the news of the marriage Chenle smiles. It is bright, even as more tears fall down his cheeks and Jeno’s heart aches to wipe them away. Suddenly he finds himself pulled into the younger’s arms. 

“I love you, Jeno.” 

“You...what?” 

“Was I not obvious?” 

“Huh?” 

“The kittens. I always brought you kittens because you love them, and when you loved a kitten from me it was like you were loving me.” 

“I’ve always loved you.” 

Chenle’s arms hold him tighter and Jeno allows his own to slip around the younger’s waist. He’s warm. Jeno feels the younger bury his face into his shoulder and doesn’t say anything else, reaching up to stroke the hair at the bottom of his nape. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Chenle asks. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Jeno parrots and smiles when he feels Chenle shake with laughter. 

“Tell me.” 

“I didn’t want to ruin anything. We were already close...friends, and then you found out you were supposed to be married to a stranger. I didn’t want to give you more stress.” 

“You’re so sweet. If you told me sooner I wouldn’t be crying right now. I mean, if my parents knew there was someone I loved they probably wouldn’t have forced me to get married.” 

“Chenle...” 

“Do you want to get married?” 

“Right now?” 

Chenle laughs again, pulling away from him and Jeno can finally see his smile. 

“Not right at this moment, but in the future.” 

“I mean, aren’t we already kind of married? With our 72 cat children?” 

“Just answer the question!” 

“Okay, okay,” Jeno laughs too, leaning up to face Chenle and look into his eyes. “Yes. A thousand times yes. I will future marry you, Zhong Chenle.” 

Somewhere among the warm sunshine and the falling petals Jeno feels a pair of soft lips against his. Chaste and sweet and barely lasting for a second, but his heart is content as Chenle’s fingers intertwine with his, and the boy smiles truly. 

“I can’t wait to future marry you, Lee Jeno. By then we’ll have 100 cat children.” 

“A hundred? Chenle, where will they fit?” 

“In your room, of course.” 

“We’re not even married yet and I already want a divorce.” 

“You love the kittens.” 

“I do.” 

“And you love me.” 

“I do.” 

“Then we’re raising a hundred cat children and you can’t do anything about it.” 

“I guess there’s worse fates than this.” 

“Jeno...can you say it one more time?” 

“Hm, what?” 

“You know...” 

“I love you?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Okay. I love you.” 

“I love you too.” 

“ _Meow_.” 

“Love you too, Noodle.”


End file.
